Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-11
AMouse River Ranoh.

trees, surrounded by wide porches,
supported by boles of oak--''nature's
pillars" A barn 100 feet square,
built in the same way as the house,
and rooted part with hatch aud part
with common shingles. High turrets
on each corner give 1t castellated
appearance. A large "corral," ten
feet high, built of solid logs. In
front, great hay meadows covered
with lay-slacks by the score, and
further ON the gently rising bluffs
which denmark the valley. On the
other side, wire enclosed paddocks,
then great body of dense timber
through which the river runs with
many a serpentine curve; through a
break in the timber, more meadow
and more hay-stacks, and six mi o.
away, gray and black in tie no ming
sun, the jagged edges of theparlially
timbered SO called sand hill, outlined
against the western sky, and we have
picture OF the ranch of a former
Wyoming stock raiser, who, delight
ed by the hay meadows IN the valleys
and the well erased uplauds of the
Mouse River country, SO different
from the "arid belt" has established
himself here, with his "bunches" of
horses aud Glands" ofcaitle. In COM
pany with its owner, Mr.. John Nc
Kelvey, we left the train, one evening
at Towner, Oak, new and growing
town OH the Devils Lake extension oil
the st. Paul, Minneapolis " Manitoba
Railroad, aud at the first crossing of
the Mouse River, TO visit the ranch,
two miles away. The night was dark
and though our road was at right
angles to the track, when we were
some distance away, we were horri-
fled TO see the train bearing down
upon us like fiery monster. Hasti-
ly getting out of the way, McKelvey
suggested that perhaps the night was
SO dark that the engineer with his
train, had lost his bearings and stray.
ed out upon the prairie, but on second
thought we concluded that the train
was all right and we we're lost. Soon
obtaining our bearings, without mor,
adventure we arrived at the ranch
Two hundred and fifty cattle and 300
horses are the number kept here. The
cattle are yet, (Nov. 25,) ranging in
the hills, sixteen miles away to the
south, but when the first snow comes
they will be brought to the timber
along the river, where in the open
coves, without other shelter, they will
be led from the 200 tons OF hay put
up along the river flats. The horses
will winter among the timbered hills,
six miles west, where the "cradle
holes" furnish great beds of rushes,
long grass and pea vineS, and will
be fed but little hay until March.
Our visit to the "horse range"
among the hills, was full of interest
Crossing the river, as yet on the riff
fles unfretted by ice, out upon the hay
fiat, then to the higher level, where
this clear, calm morning, the hills,
with their sharp, serrated outlines,
make beautiful view, a rapid walk
oyer the intervening space, and we
are soon at our destination, where,
snugly placed in all oak grove under
the lee of high hill, we find the
buildings, where the "boys" chang
out" A low house Of logs, with dirt
roof which during the summer nour-
ished a luxuriant groth of weeds, the
door ornamented with the head and
claws of the great white owl, is the
dwelling, while rough barn accom-
modates the "string" of horses used
while riding the range. A spring
near by furnishes wafer for all. Here
and there uponthe range punches of
horses are grazing OH the buffalo
grass OH the hills, or on the PUSHES
and wild pea vines In the cradle holes
while booted and spurred, the boys
are riding here and there, hunting up
the scattered bands, aud making the
"count," which is taken daily. OIL
the boys, one ia a Mexican, "Pietro,"
born in the sunny south and expert
with the lasso, and in roping and rid
ing bucking horses. Murray is
Scotch herdsman, fresh from the
knowing all about hand
ling and feeding sheep and cattle.
is an American, not up to
ranch matters yet, but very willing
10 learn. If Pietro ropes and rides
for the first time bucking 3-year-old
The next one to mount will be McCord,
If only TO get ignominiously bounced.
Wefind these horses TO be fine,
large-limbed horses of Oregon
stock, which the owner will cross OH
the Norman, Percheron and Clydes-
dale. He is also a believer IN the
thoroughbred, and few selected
mares will be used for the purpose of
driving stock. The cattle
will fatten rapidly OH the rich hay |
his winter and the surplus will be
next June. They will
bring the top-price, for they are
arge, fine beasts, and the aromatic
prairie hay, mixed with wild pea vine
'ich in phosphates, will make the
inest quality of beef and the carcass
IS will cut up to the best advantage
,ossible.-Springfeld (lll.) journal.